The Phoenix Mecano Group’s sales fell in 2025. How do you assess the outlook for 2026?
Dr. Rochus Kobler 2025 was a challenging year for Phoenix Mecano. Weak industrial activity in Europe and new US tariffs imposed a significant strain. That said, the drop in turnover was limited highlighting how resilient our business model is, particularly in tough times. We can see the initial signs of recovery for 2026: incoming orders are stabilizing and the book-to-bill ratio is higher. While we’re not expecting instant improvement and recovery, we know we’re ready for when things pick up again.
US tariff policy impacted the performance of the DewertOkin Technology Group division in 2025. How is Phoenix Mecano responding to this?
Dr. Rochus Kobler 2025 once again demonstrated how quickly and how directly geopolitical decisions can impact our global supply chains. Our DewertOkin Technology Group felt this particularly keenly. We responded swiftly and consistently, expanding production capacity in Vietnam and launching new product lines, for instance. We also continued to strengthen our vertical integration. Our aim is for this to make us more independent and secure our competitive edge for the future.
Were there any pleasant surprises in 2025?
Dr. Rochus Kobler There were some positive surprises, too. The Enclosure Systems division, for example, was very profitable during this challenging year, thanks to its special applications and solutions for explosion-proof areas and medical technology, plus human/machine interfaces in industrial automation. The Industrial Components division also performed well: we were able to increase profitability significantly thanks to a dynamic development in the Measuring Technology unit.
Given the current market situation, in which business areas do you see the greatest opportunities?
Dr. Rochus Kobler We believe the greatest opportunity lies in our global niches that are driven by structural growth trends, namely, industrial automation and digitalization, or even electrification. For instance, the Enclosure Systems division offers special housing for electromobility. And Measuring Technology sees us provide modular solutions to expand smart grid infrastructure or data center infrastructure.
Phoenix Mecano aims to streamline its operations, improve efficiency and boost profitability. What specific measures are planned?
Dr. Rochus Kobler Going forward, our focus remains squarely on profitability. We want to reach our medium-term goals. To achieve this, we’re expanding our leading position in the global niches – where we’re growing and can earn money. We’ll continue to review our portfolio and streamline it if necessary.
International trade is under pressure from tariffs and geopolitical tensions. What does this mean for a global business like Phoenix Mecano?
Benedikt Goldkamp Phoenix Mecano has a global network of production sites, all of which have critical expertise and equipment. Moving things from one site to another is the norm for us. This can take a few months, sometimes even 1 to 2 years. To be fair, this can also lead to duplications and corresponding increases in costs. That said, it’s also possible to pass this on to the market via appropriate pricing.
How are the war in Iran and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz impacting Phoenix Mecano?
Benedikt Goldkamp That’s the million-dollar question, of course. The shorter this conflict, the better for the global economy. Like all other market participants, we’ll keep a close eye on it and, if necessary, respond by increasing our stockpiles and shifting our production capacity. Oil-producing countries that aren’t dependent on these logistics routes through the Strait of Hormuz will need to ramp up their capacity. In turn, that can go hand in hand with investment that could ultimately represent additional business for Phoenix Mecano.
What opportunities and risks do you see for Phoenix Mecano from artificial intelligence?
Benedikt Goldkamp Artificial intelligence gives Phoenix Mecano the scope to improve its processes and product design. In terms of processes, this is about automating simple workflows and – in many cases – recognizing patterns that facilitate, say, risk monitoring. For instance, monitoring customer payment behavior helps you identify whether they might default in the future. As far as products go, AI can assist us again via pattern recognition with identifying patterns in massively complex, comprehensive data sets. One classic example of this is our sensor bed in China, which we’re launching there. The scope for deploying AI here is huge, not least because the Chinese see the use of this technology in a very positive light. We’ll use this as a pilot to develop a product globally that can improve patient health and caregiver productivity alike.
At its Capital Markets Day, Phoenix Mecano unveiled a smart hospital bed equipped with sensors and connected to software for the Chinese market. What further steps are you planning for the roll-out and scaling of this product?
Benedikt Goldkamp Various products are being launched at the moment. We’re trying out all kinds of concepts, as the technology can be used across a broad spectrum of applications. On the one hand, the technology lets us collect and evaluate data on patients’ vitals and make this available, like you can do with wearables – but nobody needs to wear a device, be it a ring or a watch, or even be hooked up to a machine. That’s a huge benefit. And the quality of the data is just as good. On the other hand, the technology enables infrastructure providers in the care sector and hospitals to improve their caregivers’ productivity. That’s very attractive since these qualified staff are in short supply in China, too.
